The present invention relates to a disc brake having a housing made of light metal.
German patent application No. 38 03 957 discloses a disc brake of this type. The prior art disc brake has a low-weight housing cast from aluminum. This is favorable especially with respect to reducing the unsprung masses on the vehicle wheel. A disadvantage of light-metal housings of this type is that corrosion and increased wear occurs at the points of support for the brake shoes. The reason is to be seen in the material of the brake shoe backing plates which almost exclusively consist of iron. Therefore, profiled rails are provided in the prior art disc brake on which the brake shoe backing plates are supported. The profiled rails are screwed to the housing. This type of attachment permits compensating for manufacturing tolerances because the profiled rails are adjusted within the limits of a predetermined clearance and, subsequently, may be fixed in the optimal position by the screws.
The problem of the brake shoe support in light-metal housings in the prior art disc brake is satisfactorily overcome as far as the technical function is concerned. However, the solution is very costly because profiled rails with a complicated shape are used, and the attachment by screws with a tolerance compensation also causes increased manufacturing costs.